World War II, Cold War & The Postwar World

1. World War II, Cold War & The Postwar World Mr. Ermer World History AP Miami Beach Senior High

2. Origins of World War II • Two Alliances: • Allied Powers • Great Britain • Empire (India, African colonies, and others) • Commonwealth (Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) • The Soviet Union • France • The United States • Latin American allies • China • Axis Powers • Germany • Italy • Japan

3. Japan: Empire of the Rising Sun • Unhappy with terms of the Paris Peace, Japan begins campaign of territorial expansion in Asia & Pacific • Civilians lose control of Japanese government and military • 1931: Japan invades Manchuria, Japan withdraws from League of Nations after the League condemns Japan’s war • Japanese begin to expand into northern China • China weak and divided due to civil war • 1936: Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist forces join with Mao’s Communists in “United Front” against Japanese, Japan takes capital of Nanjing • Raping of Nanjing demonstrates horrors of modern war • Cheng moves the government upriver

6. Italian Aggression • Italy felt disrespected after the Great War • Gained little territory, economy continued to suffer • Benito Mussolini promises glory and power • Italy conquers Libya and Ethiopia by 1936 • Italy annexes Albania with plans to expand in the Balkans • Italy supports Gen. Franco in Spanish Civil War • Few Italians wish to fight, Italy’s true diplomatic intentions remain obscure through 1930s • Italy never considered a true threat to world order

7. German Expansion • 1938: Germany annexes Austria • Hitler demands part of Czechoslovakia • Munich Conf. grants Hitler the Sudetenland • 1939: Hitler takes the rest of western Czech • Hitler also controls “independent” Slovakia • Hitler threatens Poland, Britain offers help • Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact • Secret protocol to divide E. Europe into spheres of influence • September 1, 1939: Hitler invades Poland • September 3, 1939: The United Kingdom and France declare war on Germany • Blitzkrieg: “lightning war” 300 tanks supported by air and ground support • April 9, 1940: Hitler attacks Denmark, Norway • May 10: attack Netherlands, Belgium, France • June 22: France surrenders, Germans control 3/5 of France, set up puppet government in Vichy

11. The Battle of Britain & Invasion of Russia • August 1940: German Luftwaffe launches air attack of Great Britain—military only • Radar provides British early warning • British bomb Berlin, Hitler unleashes brutal air attack of British cities—London • Allows Britain to quickly rebuild air force with American help • Luftwaffe having trouble with new Royal Air Force • Hitler postpones invasion of Britain, thinks UK hopes for Soviet help • Hitler wants British surrender, attacks Soviet Union • Soviets did not have weapons like Germany, Hitler expects quick win • Hitler originally wanted to invade USSR in March 1941 • Mussolini’s failed invasion of Greece delays plans • Hitler invades USSR June 22, 1941 • Germany advances quickly, but Soviets stop them in early winter • Germans unprepared for Russian winter, fail, Soviets advance

13. Battle of Stalingrad

14. America at War & War in the Pacific • 1940: Japan occupies French Indochina • The United States offers support to Britain and USSR • Also places a trade embargo on Japan to protest aggression • December 7, 1941: Japanese launch surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawai’i • Japan quickly advances on many targets across the Pacific • “Asia for Asians” slogan to unite Asians against western powers • United States declare war on Japan the following day • Germany & Italy declare war on the United States days later • East Asia Co-Prosperity Zone • Created for easy exploitation of Asian resources by Japan

16. Victory in Europe • Soviets push Germans back across Eastern Europe • Eastern Front disintegrates in midst of heavy casualties • American entrance is turning point of war • Germany cannot out produce American industry for supplies • U.S. and British forces attack German army in N. Africa • North Africa the “soft underbelly” of Axis power, launch pad to Italy—Americans, British, and Soviets for “Grand Alliance” • 1943: Allies defeat Axis Powers in North Africa • 1944: American and British forces occupy Italy • June 6, 1944: Allied “D-Day” invasion of Normandy • Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe Dwight D. Eisenhower leads final push toward Germany • Soviets enter Berlin first, U.S. and Britain close behind • May 8, 1945: Germany surrenders to Allies

20. Victory in Japan • Pearl Harbor attack spares American aircraft carrier fleet • June 1942: US ambush sinks 4 Japanese carriers at Midway • Gen MacArthur begins offensive in Philippines • Combined Army, Marine, and Navy “island hopping” force chip away at Japanese Pacific territory • Early 1945: US hold Iwo Jima & Okinawa, in range for invasion of Japanese homeland • Japanese employ kamikaze attacks • Allies begin constant fire bombing of Japan • April 1945: US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dies from stroke, replaced by Vice President Harry Truman • Allied forces approach Japanese homeland • Japanese refuse to surrender • Truman must decide to use new atomic bomb • August 6, 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Japanese city Hiroshima • Emperor refuses to surrender • Aug 9, 1945: Soviets declare war on Japan, US drops second atom bomb on port city of Nagasaki • Japan Surrenders on August 14, 1945

21. Origins of the Cold War • U.S. & Soviets have different views of how postwar world should look • The Atlantic Charter (1941) Nations should solve problems through diplomacy—through an international organization—and nations of the world should be free w/ self determination • Signed by United States, Great Britain, and Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) • Soviets secretly want to take control of Eastern Europe after war • British nervous about what A.C. means for their worldwide empire • Churchill and Stalin want the great powers to control different “spheres of influence” • Casablanca Conf: Agree for total surrender of Axis • Teheran Conf: Soviets agree to help with Japan after European war ends, disagreement over Poland’s future

22. The Yalta Conference • The Big Three meet in February 1945 • Roosevelt seeks Soviet help with Japan • Promises Japanese land to Stalin in exchange • Creation of a new United Nations • Security Council: US, UK, France, USSR, China • First meeting set for April 1945 in San Francisco • After war Germany to be split into four sectors controlled by US, UK, USSR & France, based on troop placement at the end of the war • Berlin too would be divided into four sectors • Future of Poland left uncertain • Soviets already held Poland, installed pro-communist gov’t

24. Potsdam and New Struggles • Truman, now president, not as familiar with international politics as FDR, uses “Get Tough Policy” • FDR believed Stalin would ultimately listen to reason, Truman did not trust Russians in general, and was suspicious of Stalin • July 1945: Potsdam Conference, Germany • Truman demands elections for all of Europe, fails • Stalin wins battle to move Polish border into German territory • Truman convinces Stalin to accept no reparations from Allied controlled parts of Germany, assuring Germany would stay split • Big Three agree to trials of Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg, Germany(1945-1946) • Churchill: “iron curtain has descended on the continent” splitting Europe east/west

27. Two Super Powers • After WWII, USA and USSR emerge as superpowers (military & political power) • Disagreements over how to rebuild Europe • 1947:Truman Doctrine • U.S. will help any country fight Communism • Fear of the spread of Soviet influence

28. The Marshall Plan • U.S. Gen. George C. Marshall offers plan to help Europe recover from World War II • Soviet satellite states refuse the help • Soviet plans to help failed, not enough money • Policy of Containment: United States vow to keep Communism from spreading past its current boundaries, fight against Soviet aggression.

29. Division of Germany • After war, Germany divided into four parts • U.S., U.S.S.R., U.K. & France split control • Berlin, German capital, also split in four • Berlin was located deep in Soviet East Germany • West Germany united, Soviets blockade • Soviets block supplies from reaching W. Berlin • Berlin Air Lift: supplies are flown into West Berlin by U.S. Air Force

31. Cold War Heats Up • 1949: Communists take control of China • Americans worried about Communism’s spread • Soviets detonate an atomic bomb • Arms Race: Soviets and Americans build up militaries and weapons, improve bombs • Both superpowers had the power to destroy each other with nuclear weapons, so neither risked using them; alliances build

32. The Bi-Polar World • The world splits into Communist and Anti-Communist alliances: • NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): U.S., U.K., Belgium, Lux, France, The Neth., Italy, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Iceland, Canada, W. Germany, Turkey, Greece • Warsaw Pact: U.S.S.R. & Eastern Block • By 1950s, USA allied with 42 nations against Communism

34. Berlin Wall • Arms race builds steam with hydrogen bomb, ICBMs and stronger nukes • 1957: Soviet Sputnik I reaches space • USA believes it’s losing space race/arms race • Nikita Khrushchev, new Soviet leader, sees problem with East Germans escaping to the much richer, freer West Berlin • Soviets build a wall around West Berlin

36. Cuban Missile Crisis • 1959: Fidel Castro gains power in Cuba • Kennedy’s Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba fails • 1962: Soviets send nuclear missiles to Cuba • To answer for US missiles in Turkey • Oct. 1962: Russian ships, carrying missiles, headed for Cuba; Kennedy orders blockade • Soviets agree to leave Cuba, US promises not to invade Cuba • To avoid nuclear war, a “hotline” was created between Washington D.C. and Moscow

38. Domino Theory • Domino Theory: If Vietnam falls to Communism, the rest of Asia will fall “like dominos” one after the other • Vietnam fighting civil war North vs. South • North Vietnam: Communist (w/ Soviets & China) • South Vietnam: Democratic (helped by USA) • 1973: President Nixon withdraws from conflict • North wins, domino theory unfounded, limits to American power made clear